College students are among the most vulnerable to the trap of addiction and the likelihood of an overdose. The negative effects caused by prescription drug abuse doesn’t show up until the consequences begin to manifest in negative ways. This could mean losing a scholarship, losing friendships, losing health and risking a bright, young future to a reckless addiction.
The National Institute for Drug Abuse states that young people between the ages of 18 and 25 are the most likely to consume prescription drugs illegally while distributing them to their peers. Thankfully, the University of South Carolina is making it easy for students to get help for opioid addictions. A “lifesaving” overdose-reversal treatment is being made available to students without the need for a prescription.
What is Narcan?
Narcan is the brand name associated with the drug treatment naloxone. Naloxene is a nasal spray that dramatically stops the overdose symptoms that lead to a premature death. Students have fewer barriers to accessing Narcan since no prescription is required. When students know what they have available to them, they can seek out the necessary resources to help themselves or their loved ones suffering with prescription drug addiction.
Legal consequences
Not only does prescription drug overdose cause potentially lethal consequences, but many times legal consequences as well. Students accused of illegal drug abuse face another harsh layer of negativity. Criminal charges intensify the reality of struggling with an addiction. The reality of trying to climb out of a deeper and deeper pit due to the unraveling of your values. Valuing the temporary effects of an opioid simultaneously pickpockets your future while you are distracted with the escape of the moment.
The good news is that you have options and help available through various types of organizations and legal representatives. You are not alone and if you are a parent, your son or daughter has supportive resources to fight an addiction and the consequences that come with it.
